AXSChat with Caroline Casey

NEIL: Hello and welcome to AXSChat. We're pre-Davos, pre-
Economic Forum and pleased to welcome back Caroline Casey,

because this time last year you were telling us about the
launch of the Valuable 500, and really pleased to see the
huge momentum that's got behind it and a year on, you're a
about to return to Davos and amazing things have happened
so congratulations. I know it has been enormously hard
work, because I've seen you ping ponging across the globe,
sometimes our paths cross, but well done you're almost
final mile for this stage anyway.
So, tell us, how's it been going and what's coming?
CAROLINE: First of all, thank you AXSChat, we've done
this, but we've done this because we've had a great I think
tribe of people who have been around us and supporting us,
and seeing the need for CEO accountability and leadership,
that's been our common ground and I just want to say a huge
thank you to you guys. I was thinking this time last year,
we still hadn't the brand finished, we hadn't the website
done, we were putting the final touches to the film and
today, as we speak and as I'm talking to you there are
companies coming through so we're at 231 companies and I
could not be more proud. I really am. And just so I can
give you some context of what that is, that represents in
revenue, 3.8 trillion in employees 9.6 million, countries
it is 34 and sectors it is 39 and that's what will change
by tomorrow and that's so exciting, we started to create
this wave and movement of leadership accountability, so
yeah, I think we're proud and exhausted but very proud.

NEIL: As you should be.
So, I mean, those are huge, huge numbers. And you know,
what you asked was for people to make that commitment and
it's been really interesting to see which CEOs, have and
which haven't and the kind of domino effect that you see
with leaders coming on board and then the sector looking
around and thinking oh they're doing it. So, maybe if
they're doing it, should I be doing this?
So, I think that you know, you've done a magnificent job of
creating that kind of momentum.
Who were the real early adopters, because last year you had
some people at the top table, at Davos, so you know they're
your real, early people the Paul Polmans and Aswanis and
I'm having a brain ...

CAROLINE: I can fill your gap so we have strategic
partners so one is Virgin Media and that was led by Jeff
Dodds who was the CEO there, we had Omnicom Media Group,
led by Janet Riccio who tragically died in July and also
One Young World but at the main stage in Davos last year we
had Carolyn Tastad of Proctor and Gamble, Paul Polman of
Unilever Duncan Tata Fujitsu, Peter Grauer of Bloomberg and
Julie Sweet of Accenture and she wasn't the global CEO of
Accenture at that point, all of them so I know, we got all
of those within a 24‐hour period, Barclays were at our
press Conference similarly so our early adopters were that
group and I cannot thank them enough. But very, very

quickly afterwards, we had real interest from organisations
who were keeping an eye on what Unilever were doing for
example or banking, so HSBC came on quickly and or Danske
Bank and the sector taking this up the quickest is the
financial sector, the country that produced the most is the
UK. Though I've just come back from Israel on Monday and
we signed up 37 CEOs and companies on Monday which is
extraordinary. But, Atos, your employer, they came fairly
quickly as well and then we kind of get the unusual ones
that you know from industries we wouldn't necessarily be
used to, so we're delighted to see Saville join that's
fantastic, Virgin Active from the leisure industry,
Sainsbury's came on very quickly so it just really depends
on what, which country we're in, and which industry. But I
have to say my greatest sense of pride has come from you
know when Japan, when NTT signed from Japan. Like, that's
incredible. Because you know our intention was always to
be global and I hopefully can stand by that we are global
and Cinepolis is one from Mexico. Mexico, from Manpower
from Mexico came through very quickly and it is interesting
and really depends on the leaders and the space and if
they're committed to it and they're willing to push it
through. We've a great list and then I have to say there
was a great moment when Mark Benioff's signature came
through from Salesforce, that was a big woo one and that
came through on the third of December, so yeah, it's
exciting and we have all the PWCs and Deloittes and KPMGs
and Accenture’s, that's really big too. And I want to be
clear this is not a tick box. You'll see on our website,

it says we have 467 companies, we don't. They're in
discussion, because they're incredibly rigorous about
making sure that the company's truly committed with the
signature of the CEO, as a leadership or board conversation
with a commitment to action and all those actions are the
action statements and commitments are on our website. So,
yeah, it is exciting. Very exciting.
ANTONIO: You see Caroline, more predominance in terms of
consumer services or enterprises where do you see the
things going?

CAROLINE: What we always imagine the B to C was going to
be very quick and that was the initial, that was really the
initial pickup.
But in Ireland for example we signed 13 companies on
Friday, and the majority of those were law fills
Who knew?
I mean, let's be honest, law firms I would have said are
the last that were going to be the last bastion, but they
see the opportunity around clients this is the thing. And
when we talk about the Valuable 500, we're talking about
across your supply chain and your value chain and they see
that as differentiating factor to serve their clients. So
that's been very interesting the professionals services
have really kind of phone yid up very quickly, but I would
say we probably are at 50‐50 now between B to B and B to C,
which is a surprise, that's a surprise.
ANTONIO: So someone is listening to you what you're saying
here and OK, this is signed, I can do it but it is more

than just signing because sometimes people might feel that
you're mentioning CEOs and someone else is signing I need
to be part of that. But it is important to highlight that
it is not just signing, it is commitment and then it is
following that commitment next year and the years to come.
CAROLINE: You know, I think, we've seen many commitments
and pledges, Paul Polman who is our chairperson turned
around to me a week ago and said, I don't remember seeing
an organisation whose been able to get over 200 signatures
and commitments at board level and CE O‐level for any
issue.
And, the thing that he was probably most impressed by is
that it wasn't just a pledge or tick box, we have been so
rigorous, and I mean, Neil would know this, you know, we've
had lots of people say we want to join but we've had
several conversation with those organisation toss make sure
that their action statement or commitment is meaningful for
where they are in their journey and that it will be
delivered. One of our great ones I think that I'm very
proud of was JLR, Jaguar Land Rover who signed up in
August, and this gives me great pleasure because what they
did in their signup was to get to hold an inclusive design
workshop for their team in the UK and asked for 500 ways of
being more inclusive in their inclusive design process, so
number one this was educating about the disability market
and families but two it was really identifying with their
designers and engineers this was a differentiating factor
for their career and that me that's real change.
So it is not just about disability, it is about design for

all and inclusive design so those are the kind of things
we're seeing and it is very impactful or when we see
relationships plaintiff between PWC and Microsoft, two huge
players that becomes exciting and we're starting to see
relationships building across the Valuable 500 community
that's what we want, because together if we share best
practice, we can get there better, quicker faster and
that's the whole point. But the key to the Valuable 500 is
the CEOs are aware of it, accountability and aware of it,
we're not asking the CEO toss do it but we want them to
know what is going on in their business so this they
continue to support it and fund it so we operationalise and
normalise disability in business.
NEIL: Debra I know you have a question.

DEBRA: Well first of all, I'm so proud of you. And I'm so
proud of your team and I a I agree with Paul it is amazing
that you got 230‐plus corporations at the CEO and board
level, amazing to do this. And I know, we've all been
standing with you and I know you always say you haven't
done it alone but at the same time, what you have done, you
have been on the road non‐step, nonstop, which might sound
glamorous but those of us who travel, it is not glamorous,
so it is no not glamorous, you see you will Conference
rooms and hotel rooms, all over the world and they sort of
look the same. So, it's exhausting and tiring. I remember
seeing you in Geneva and you said, I'm beyond tired, I
don't even know, I don't even feel normal anymore because
I'm so past being exhausted and tired. So, I'm very, we

are all very grateful for what you have done and for your
leadership. And I was talking to somebody the other day
that wants you to be a keynote speaker for them, and I was
just saying you know Caroline comes across so bubbly and
warm and approachable and amazing, but she's a very shrewd
business woman and anyone who doesn't take Dr Caroline
Casey is dismissing the entire point of what inclusion
really means so I want to first applaud you Caroline,
because, you have done ‐ I can't believe you've done that,
brought in 2030‐plus corporations and you're in
conversation with 467‐plus it is sort of amazing, an
amazing fete that there's no way we could have thought that
you would have done this, and you did.
I also want to applaud you know, people like Janet Reeso
from Omnicom, I had the pleasure to meet her briefly
because of you and in May in New York City and she made a
comment that touched my heart. She made a comment that she
was not hired by her CEO, or she was hired by her CEO
because of her brain because even though she acquired ALS,
later in life, her brain worked just fine. And she was
such an amazing, wonderful woman and she'll be remembered
forever because she showed such leadership and I know that
broke your heart when we lost her. It's always a shame
when we lose the amazing leaders especially women leaders.
And so, I've been very impressed with there have been US
corporations that have stepped up, and my book not enough.
I'm really glad Ernst & Young was an early adopter and I
know they've been supportive of you, and well, I always say
to corporations you need to be a lot more supportive of

this, and I know I'm working on a couple of big names.
What's interesting about these earths, I know the Citibank
is one of the signers, I know thank you for doing that, and
I was one of the people that was encouraging them, but it
has been interesting about this, is we're all taking
different approaches and different prongs so I'm talking to
them, you're talking to them, Miriam's talking to them,
Antonio's talking to them and Neil's talking to them and on
and on and on.
And, so, it is a real team group effort and most players,
there's been at least one exception, of an organisation not
playing nicely in the sand box, but generally everybody's
really pulling together to support this because this is
good for all of us. People with disabilities do need to be
fully included, and so, I wanted to take a moment to
celebrate you, to celebrate Janet and all of the
accomplishments and all of the leaders, we still have a lot
of work to do. I'm proud of the US corporations like
Tyson's Food and Boeing and Zebra technologies, and others
that have joined and there's so many that you know, it
would take us the whole show to list all these amazing
leaders like Barclays who have done this, but there's still
a lot more to do, as Paul Polman once said he wants it to
be the valuable 5 million, right, so, I love that you have
this amazing man standing with you and all these other
leaders standing with you, but there's still a lot of work
do, but we really, really appreciate you Caroline.

CAROLINE: Thank you I think you guys would probably know,

you're so right, it has been a year I've never been so
pushed or so challenged, there were days my heart would
break because of the excuses we all give for fear of not
getting it right.
In the US I think there's probably maybe more fear because
the focus on inclusion has been more typically on gender
and race. The system, the corporate system within the US,
is more of a blocker. That being said we have great
leadership in the US, and I think as we move to the second
phase of the Valuable 100, I absolutely believe because as
I've been speaking to you, we have literally had an
American company sign with our signature. And so, I just
think we have to accept people are at different stages and
take them are they're at. The Valuable 500 is about
creating a space that is safe for everybody. It is not
about shaming and making people feel bad it is about saying
how can we grow confidence and comfort in this space. But
yeah, there has been days that I have been on my knees for
sure.
DEBRA: And Merck, Merck signed too, I was very surprised.
CAROLINE: And Cummins
Just signed yeah.

DEBRA: Yeah but so many more that need to prove that they
care about the community people with disabilities and those
of us that are ageing in the disabilities too. This isn't
going away guys, gallons. Anyway, I'll turn it over to
Neil.
NEIL: Yeah, no, so it is an amazing group of companies you

already managed to collect.
And that is it is one of these things, like you said, as
people come on board it gains momentum. At first we've
been tipping the rock a little bit, rocking backwards and
forwards, as you're seeing now, you're reaching the
critical deadline, they're piling it, it is not one at a
time it is several so I think you've done a great job great
job gaining such momentum and next week I think there will
be even more. I think Benioff is a big one, as you rightly
say because he's so public about his philanthropic bent and
what they're trying to do for good at Salesforce that
actually having them on board and having him make a public
commitment to a point of chief accessibility officer it is
a big deal.
Because it is going to be very, very visible what they're
going do.
Because, they haven't been that many chief accessibility
officers anywhere, and especially not in big companies.
You had Microsoft and IBM and: Knapp Caroline: We had
Jenny and she's amazing you know.
NEIL: Oh yeah and Microsoft before Jenny, there was Rob,
so Microsoft have the longest history of, so kudos to
Microsoft because even before such they've done this so,
but we don't see many of these bell weather companies in
the US doing this. So, having another one that is
constantly present in the media doing this is a really big
signal to the industry that this is happening, and it is
real.
And I think that what I can say from our own point of view

from as an employee of one of the companies that signed up
was that it made, it has made a difference to what is
happening within the organisation.
A couple of things right you asked tows make a commitment,
we had those discussions. At a very top level as to what
we were going to publicly commit to. We're actually doing
more. So that fear of you know getting it wrong is still
present but, it didn't stop us from making a commitment.
But what we did was committed to less than we are publicly
committed to less than we're actually doing because there's
still this wanting to put your best face to the world kind
of approach that management always going to want. Because
you know, that's natural. So, having read through some of
the statements, some of them are really quite ambitious,
and I think that that ambition and making sure that they
follow up on that ambition is really important. But when
we saw what I saw within our own organisation was that
people saw that this was something our CEO had made a
public pronouncement about, saw that he had signed and it
was oh well he's done this, we need to do this. Not, oh
well there's already a law in place, but, don't worry about
that, the boss has signed something, now we need to go and
do it so, that has made a tremendous difference. It is the
top level of the organisation, and people are noticing in
what our friend Fleur Bothwick at EY calls the permafrost.
The middle management, they're going well the people are
talking about this you know.
So, I think that that effect over several hundred global
companies is going to make a huge difference. So, you've

done that. Now you know, you're going to report on it and
they're going to talk about it, and some will come on
board. What's next?
CAROLINE: First of it is EY who did our original research
for Davos last year and that was under the leadership of
Fleur Bothwick who is a huge friend and ally. And one of
the statistics that that really shook us is 56% of our
boards had never had a conversation about disability. I
guess that's what really the Valuable 500 was here to
change.
so, EY again supporting us in the report we go back with,
and part of that report it is not only talking about the
companies and listing the CEOs and talking about where
we're seeing peaks in industry or countries, but it is
actually outlining what is going to happen for the next
phase.
And I didn't think, I didn't know if there was going to be
a next phase because I didn't know if we were going to
reach a critical mass and by October, we had got to 165,
and then it was OK let's keep going. So, what we're
looking to do, is we will be closing the membership of the
Valuable 500 at the UN General Assembly, week on the 21st
of September in New York with an event.
We will also we have put together a three‐year change
programme for our CEOs, which is around leadership and
culture and brand and representation reporting and
research, so we're asking our CEOs internally what are the
triggers in their business that they can support the
operational organisational of disability and externally how

they can use their influence so that's a really succinct
version of what we'll be doing and I think one of the most
exciting things, I can say this now because after the press
Conference in Davos on Tuesday we will be announcing a
strategic relationship with the World Economic Forum and
things like that are hugely valuable to making sure we
maintain the momentum we have thank we've built. I don't
want it to drop. I want to create this community of CEO,
at C suite level to help they feel support their
organisations, because one thing I want to be clear about,
there has been a lot of people doing a lot of work for
decades in this space, decades and I nod to Debra here,
there's been decades of work, great leaders, the problem is
it has been not highlighted to leadership level. And the
sooner we get that work up to leadership visibility the
sooner we can amplify it accelerate and operate it, so our
job is to help our CEOs to do that. So that's our next
phase and another, if I'm allowed to big smile on my face,
everyone knows that I have been obsessed with reporting and
how disability's reported both internally in businesses and
externally. And one of the things that we really wanted to
affect change in is I do not believe there should be a
sustainability index or an inclusion and diversity index
that does not have disability metrics in it, that is not
acceptable anymore. On the fourteenth we had the Tortoise
Sustainability Index which has metrics on disability. If
there was ever reason to underpin why can he do the
Valuable 500, some of the results for that were just
terrifying. So yeah, I'm really proud of that. And that's

just the first of many because we should never, ever have
the word "inclusion and diversity" without disability
metrics associated with it ever again.

DEBRA: I agree, and we also see disability equality
indexes and stuff that don't address access are. If we
don't have accessibility with technology and with build
barriers, you can't hire us, I remember a sad story years
ago where three gentlemen that blind were got hired and
assistive technology did not work with the company's
technology, so they let them go. That is unacceptable.
That is unacceptable. Now, that's in the United States and
but I so I totally agree with you. And we're part of
humanity, we're part of the community so, we should always
be included in everything, it is ridiculous for us not to
be included in, anyway, it is frustrating sometimes when
we're not all rowing in the same direction. Well I'm not
going to help you because maybe it will take something away
from me, which is ridiculous, I'm going to help you I'm
going to do severing because we all win when we're pulling
together and moving in the same direction. But, I would
also like to ask you a question that I should have warned
you I was going to ask you before we went on air, you made
an announcement at Zero Project which is a wonderful
Conference, that you were going to retire.
And you don't look like you're retiring to me. Yeah ‐ I
don't see you working every single day, every single minute
of the day, you look like you are is retiring, so somebody
recently asked me about that. And I'm like we're not going

to let her retire so I was just wondering that anyone that
happened to be at that Conference if you could address
that? You don’t have to work too hard though.
CAROLINE: No, there are two things I want to say on that,
movements can't be built on one individual.
And I have been obsessed with this.
for a very long time and that's why our expert partners of
which you're one of eight was very important and all the
friends that we have around the world like Enable India,
Access Israel or My Ability in Austria and AND in
Australia, we have so many partners.
DEBRA: The Nippon Foundation.
CAROLINE: you cannot have a Caroline Casey on her own and
that's the other thing that I've always wanted to see if we
get the next generation, Molly Bourke, Eddi Obedu and
Sinead Bourkes, and is and getting them speaking too,
because movements are for all of us
So, that's the number one thing and I felt, I'm maybe I'm
48 years old and should Welcome to Barclays Reach ‐
Diabetes Awareness. This event will have live subtitles.
coming to the back and that was a big thing. The second
thing I was genuinely worried that we weren't you know, we
weren't going to get to where we got to, and I was
frightened is it OK to say that I had fear like anybody
else did?
But what happened once we reached this critical mass, I
was, there's annexe phase, there's a future in the Valuable
500, we know we can deliver and I didn't want to do
anything until I knew we could deliver and that's really

important to be with integrity and with our values,
substantive change, I wanted to deliver impact. And what I
want to do is not exist impact flee in three years' time.
So, to answer your question, I will, we've just appointed a
CEO to the Valuable 500 and I think that's the right thing
for me to do and I will be very much involved as more of a
founder and a chairperson. I will be working from more
behind the scenes, so that we can see now voices stand up
that we can hear new opinions, so we can be challenged and
new faces. I am not going anywhere. I am absolutely here
for three years for sure. Very proud to be and I want to
see this organisation and all of our organisations reach
the potential that we can have in this I think incredibly
exciting moment. So, I'm not going anywhere but I am
resigning as CEO but not retiring from the mission.
DEBRA: I think that's good; I talk about that all the
time. I'm proud to be over 60 now, and we have to allow
other people to talk. We have to give the microphone to
other people. You and I have been saying that for a long
time we said in Geneva another one of your partners, GDBN
and we talked about it there and it is important for us to
open the door and let the Marion Waites and Mollies and
young people with disabilities stand up and talk their own
truth. So, I think it just makes us a stronger community.
So, we love you and we are so thankful for your leadership
for so long you've been leading, we appreciate it. Let me
turn it over to Neil before we mute you.
NEIL: I couldn't mute you Debra. It is impossible. And
you know, sitting still we don't think so either. I don't

see you far away from an airport departure lounge any time
soon.
It is great to see that there's going to be another phase
because it absolutely deserves to have it and it is great
that you can appoint someone to do the running of this
stuff because actually you know, whilst we do need
individuals as catalysts and movements are bigger, you
still need those individuals, and shows spokespeople. I
have seen you work the crowd and you're damn good at it and
we need people continue working the crowd, so it is
important that we work the crowd.
Because that's how we win the hearts and minds and bring
about that kind of substantive change.
So, thank you for taking the time today because you're in
the middle of the run‐up to your biggest day ever!
And you've taken the time out to speak to our community and
to join us and tell us your special news, so Caroline good
luck go and knock them dead in Davos. Make sure you have
those expensive cheese sandwiches you know.
CAROLINE: When I get to eat there.
NEIL: No. Good luck and well done.
It's been brilliant.
CAROLINE: I mean a huge thank you and I just want to end
by saying I think the one thing that I want to do more of
is do the strategizing from behind. Because I have never
been more excited about what we can achieve.
And we've all been in the space a long time. And but this,
we are here because of all of you, and I thank you very
much for your support.

Amazing.
NEIL: And we need just to say thank you to those who have
supported us too. So MyClearText, Barclays, and Microlink
because they do a great job behind the scenes so thank you
very much and good luck.
Well done.
Caroline: Love to you all, bye.